Questions tagged [desktop-computer]

Traditional computers as compared to laptops and netbooks.

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16 votes
5 answers
29k views

How to migrate local user to domain user?

I have a local user on my laptop. My company is migrating to a domain setup and I want to migrate the local user to a domain user, with all the settings (desktop, Start menu, programs) intact. How can ...
drizzt's user avatar
  • 573
6 votes
8 answers
13k views

How to troubleshoot a computer not booting up when powered on?

I can turn on my computer and sometimes it will boot up just fine. After a while of use, days or even a week, when I try to turn it on, it powers up, in that the fans spins up, the power indicator ...
Laz's user avatar
  • 258
20 votes
9 answers
35k views

RAID 0 performance gains?

I'm building a new computer over the summer. I'm fairly competent in computer hardware, and am thus building the computer from scratch. I have everything planned out, but I was wondering about RAID. ...
NickAldwin's user avatar
  • 1,537
7 votes
9 answers
980 views

How can I determine a computer's specs? [closed]

I have a client who has a computer they want to upgrade. They are unable to tell me the specs of this computer and they're not the type of person I could walk it through with. Ideally, I'd like to ...
Damovisa's user avatar
  • 297
16 votes
3 answers
10k views

What should a person know before assembling their first computer?

For people who are setting out to build a computer for the first time, there's a lot of information on this site about how to choose an appropriate set of components. But after searching for a while, ...
9 votes
3 answers
26k views

Mixing RAM sticks with different CAS Latency and timings?

I currently have 2 of the following RAM sticks on my PC: Value 8Gb 240P DDR3 1600 Pc3 12800, G.SKILL, F3-1600C11S-8GNT, 8 Gb I decided to add more so I bought those: G.Skill 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR3 PC3-...
onlyforthis's user avatar
7 votes
10 answers
14k views

Use RAID for desktop computer?

I'm building a new computer over the summer. I'm fairly competent in computer hardware, and am thus building the computer from scratch. I have everything planned out, but I was wondering if I should ...
NickAldwin's user avatar
  • 1,537
2 votes
2 answers
26k views

Connecting desktop computer to the internet through laptop wifi

Due to some home network complications I have had to move my router to a seperate part of the house, therefore the wired network I had set up can no longer work. Before I find the time to go out and ...
Josh's user avatar
  • 122
46 votes
4 answers
31k views

Why is Windows reporting a battery charge with my desktop?

I have a desktop computer. Get-wmiobject win32_computersystem | select manufacturer,model Manufacturer : Hewlett-Packard Model : HP ProDesk 600 G1 SFF For a while it would ...
Matt's user avatar
  • 1,226
18 votes
5 answers
12k views

Bare-metal virtualisation for the desktop

What knowledge exists about bare-metal virtualization products? I'm interested in building a new desktop machine for home. I've been looking at the Intel Quad-Core processors, and I'd like to put 8 GB ...
user avatar
11 votes
6 answers
161k views

Windows 10 internet speed capped at half the original speed on new PC

I got a new pc, the internet speed is somehow capped at 5 MB/s on every program .. Torrent, steam, chrome downloads and everything. I tried with my laptop and other pc and it's runs all good, no ...
GLOB GVI's user avatar
  • 111
8 votes
2 answers
2k views

Best Way to Protect A Desktop From Power Surge/Dirty Power?

What is the best way to protect a computer desktop from a power surge/dirty power? Would a power strip be adequate? (I don't have much space in my desk.)
JFW's user avatar
  • 2,434
4 votes
1 answer
2k views

SATA hard disk for laptop on Desktop PC

Can I connect a laptop SATA hard disk to Desktop PC? Do I have to use some adapters or I can just plug in SATA power connector and SATA data cable like my Desktop hard disk is connected? I noticed ...
user avatar
3 votes
4 answers
8k views

Memory expansion risers for desktops?

Pretty simple question. Is there any hardware for desktop PCs that allows you to add more DIMMs to the bus? I have seen this hardware for more expensive servers, but wondered if there was a similar ...
Stephen R's user avatar
  • 208
3 votes
3 answers
26k views

Can I use laptop RAM in a desktop?

The specifications of my system say it supports 400 MHz and 533 MHz DDR2 unbuffered SDRAM. I have a 1 GB DDR2 PC2-5300 laptop RAM module. Can I use this in my desktop? If not, what exactly is the ...
Legend's user avatar
  • 744
2 votes
2 answers
911 views

My PC isn't updating from 1803 to 1903

I cannot seem to update, and using the Windows 10 Update Assistant reports that Windows is installed in an unsupported directory, and it cannot proceed to update without clearing all of my data (PC ...
GameGlitz's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
954 views

How to allow outdated plugin (e.g. Adobe Flash Player) in Opera 30.0.1835.125 (or later)?

If you are interested in resolving the same issue in Opera 30.0.1835.88 (or earlier), please proceed here. In Opera 30.0.1835.88 (and earlier) there was a way to allow usage of outdated plugins (e.g. ...
Deilan's user avatar
  • 164
1 vote
1 answer
2k views

How to allow outdated plugin (e.g. Adobe Flash Player) in Opera 30.0.1835.88 (and earlier)?

If you are interested in resolving the same issue in Opera 30.0.1835.125 (or later), please proceed here. There is a plenty of stone age machines, where the modern versions of Adobe Flash are just ...
Deilan's user avatar
  • 164
1 vote
1 answer
634 views

Computer runs,but won't display anything on screen, changed power supply and graphics card

This computer has not been booting properly recently and I can't figure it out. It has Ubuntu but has worked fine for years. It is a older computer, and nothing has ever been changed except hard ...
Pufferfish's user avatar
1 vote
4 answers
3k views

Can a laptop hard-drive be used in a desktop machine?

I recently built my own computer, and I wanted to put my laptop hard drive in my desktop, possibly to do a RAID 0 or 1 (haven't decided yet). Is this even possible, or is it possible with an adapter ...
nathpilland's user avatar
  • 1,036
-1 votes
2 answers
556 views

Computer stops working after 5 minutes of use in windows

I recently bought a PC in parts. I installed Windows 10 on it and it worked flawlessly for about a week and a half. However, now it turns off whenever I'm doing something, even if it's not a heavy ...
César Castro Aroche's user avatar
-1 votes
2 answers
2k views

Wireless WLAN Transmitter for Desktop Computer? [closed]

I would like to know whether I can buy a Wireless WLAN Transmitter for my desktop computer in order to not use a internet cable to connect to the internet but rather via my router's wireless WLAN ...
Doguhanca's user avatar
224 votes
7 answers
45k views

Is it possible to run a motherboard in distilled water?

I have read that distilled water doesn't conduct electricity. This, in other words, means that we can submerge electronic devices like PCs/laptops in it and run them without any problem. I haven't ...
Suici Doga's user avatar
  • 2,187
18 votes
13 answers
8k views

What are the benefits of a dual-core CPU over a quad-core in a desktop PC?

I know that in most cases when you buy a dual-core CPU for the same price you could get a quad-core, you end up getting 2 cores that are faster individually than the 4 cores individually in the quad-...
Chris Pietschmann's user avatar
8 votes
5 answers
2k views

My power supply/motherboard nightmare

Last summer I bought a broken power supply (without knowing of course) and put it in my computer. Turning my box on made one of my cheaper HDDs catch fire (I believe a capacitor or resistor blew) and ...
nopcorn's user avatar
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8 votes
1 answer
6k views

Are there any drawbacks of running Caviar Red (or any other NAS-ready) HDD on your desktop PC?

What does the NAS-ready imply and how suitable are these HDD's for desktop PC's? My home desktop PC is turned on whenever I'm home and/or I'm awake (I turn it off during the night). Would a NAS-ready ...
tkit's user avatar
  • 632
7 votes
6 answers
65k views

Connect a 2.5" (laptop hard disk) SATA hard disk to Desktop PC

Can I connect a laptop SATA hard disk to Desktop PC? Do I have to use some adapters or I can just plug in SATA power connector and SATA data cable like my Desktop hard disk is connected? I noticed ...
Lawliet's user avatar
  • 89
5 votes
2 answers
2k views

Internal/External SATA drive for backup - 5900 RPM OK?

I'm building a new computer over the summer. I'm fairly competent in computer hardware, and am thus building the computer from scratch. I have everything planned out, but I was wondering about a ...
NickAldwin's user avatar
  • 1,537
5 votes
2 answers
11k views

Get Access to all of the partitions of USB in Windows

I partitioned my USB drive into 3 partitions each with FAT32 file system, using gparted software in GNU Linux. So, after succesfully partitioned my USB Drive, I tried it in a Windows PC, but only ...
tony Stark's user avatar
5 votes
1 answer
270 views

window 7 desktop shared folders icon image

I am using windows 7 professional. And I have many folders saved on my desktop but every time I check them (shared folders), the small icon image would change, does anyone know why and is it a ...
Qstr2318's user avatar
  • 155
4 votes
1 answer
743 views

GPU showing x1 bus interface rather than x8

TL;DR: GTX 980 is running at x1 instead of x8 both in SLI and as a solo card. Another 980 is running perfectly in the same situations. I recently purchased a second 980 (EVGA) to run SLI with my ...
deckeresq's user avatar
4 votes
1 answer
119 views

Is it more cost efficient to keep my computer on and allow it to go into S4/Hibernate? [closed]

I have a desktop PC and and it goes into S4/Hibernate after about 1/2 hour of it being on. Is it wasting electricity by turning it on and off and not just keep it on overnight in S4/Hibernate?
Christopher Chipps's user avatar
3 votes
1 answer
7k views

Windows Boot Manager disappears from UEFI at every reboot

I've been using this system, with a Gigabyte Z370 Aorus Gaming 7 v1 motherboard for quite a while, and everything had been working well, save for a few random duplicated UEFI entries (caused by ...
Manchineel's user avatar
  • 1,031
3 votes
1 answer
22k views

Replacing DVD drive with a hard drive in PC?

I have a HP Compaq dc7800 Small Form Factor PC, and I have an old WD HDD that has my old files in it. I want to add it to my new PC, but it has barely any room left for an extra HDD. But it does ...
jeffmangum's user avatar
3 votes
1 answer
2k views

How can I use a desktop like a laptop [closed]

I am not looking for a remote control application. I need a new computer. Typically I buy desktop-replacement laptops and use them in the exact same location (my couch). I would like to save $ and ...
Jason Coyne's user avatar
2 votes
4 answers
5k views

Grounding Yourself Before/While You Are Building A Computer

What are the best methods for grounding yourself while you are building a computer? I've heard some methods but I'm not sure how they work/if they work at all. Touching a plugged in, off PSU Metal ...
JFW's user avatar
  • 2,434
2 votes
4 answers
7k views

"Display driver stopped responding and has recovered" after computer is idle

Often when I leave my computer for a while (more than about 3 or 4 minutes, at a guess) the graphics driver will crash when I come back to it. The screen goes black for several seconds then comes back ...
Tharwen's user avatar
  • 301
2 votes
1 answer
568 views

If I split my harddrive, will a system restore delete it?

I split my 1TB HD from C drive and called it A. I put some files there to back up. I have now come to a point where I need to run a system restore with the discs that came with my computer. If I do a ...
Miura-shi's user avatar
  • 123
2 votes
2 answers
82 views

Strange desktop PC issue

I'm having strange PC issue: When i'm turning my PC on, it doesn't send signal to display. All fans are working. There is no sound signal from bios, also HDD loading led doesn't do anything. There is ...
Tural Ali's user avatar
  • 1,943
2 votes
10 answers
5k views

Desktop PC not powering up

I have a DELL Desktop at home that's not powering up at all. When I turn on the power button there is no sign of a life, not even any lights turning on. Do you think it would be the power supply? Do ...
DemoGeek's user avatar
  • 393
1 vote
1 answer
919 views

The desktop is encrypting items automatically

Every time a file goes to the desktop, or if the file name changes while on the desktop, it becomes encrypted. No, I don't know what I did to get it like that and, yes, it is a problem only found on ...
Julioman's user avatar
1 vote
0 answers
1k views

Can I leave my computer turned off for several years?

I'm planning to work abroad for several years and I can't bring my trusty PC along. I'm gonna buy a laptop and I'll possibly only come back home after 5 years. So my question is: Is it OK to leave my ...
flen's user avatar
  • 319
1 vote
2 answers
263 views

Seagate HDD periodically disables/enables

After downloading Fortnite and launching for first time my 500 GB HDD went nuts and started disabling/enabling endlessly. After restarting my pc it still does that. Internet also synchronizingly ...
BiostarII's user avatar
1 vote
2 answers
4k views

How do I tell if my computer supports hibernation?

In Windows Vista, there is regular Hibernation as well as a Hybrid Sleep mode. These features can be found and enabled in the Power Options dialog (advanced settings). For some reason, I don't have ...
Samir's user avatar
  • 20.8k
1 vote
1 answer
652 views

Lenovo A740 BIOS Administrator Password

Quite in a pickle here after a person who left the workplace set the Administrator password on all six of our lab machines. As funny as that might sound it is not. I have tried some common solution ...
Petter's user avatar
  • 111
1 vote
1 answer
2k views

How to tell if CPU is actually overheating or is a false positive?

How does the CPU know it's temperature? I've been having trouble turning on my computer as I keep getting "CPU fan error". I reapplied thermal paste and got a new heatsink/fan and still the same ...
Celeritas's user avatar
  • 8,229
1 vote
1 answer
2k views

ECC ram in non-ECC motherboard

We want to create a computer with i7-2600k (Z68 chipset) and 32 GB ram. After some googling we found out that this can only be done with 4x8GB modules. We can choose from: Samsung nonECC A-DATA ...
Dutow's user avatar
  • 163
0 votes
0 answers
124 views

Windows 10 Desktop PC "losing track" of screens, and they go/stay black

I have a (10 year-old?) self-built Desktop PC, with 2 Dell monitors (U2412M), one connected DVI-DVI, on HDMI-DVI. Intermittently I'll turn one or both screens off, for some reason, and leave them off ...
Brondahl's user avatar
  • 295
0 votes
5 answers
450 views

New desktop won't POST

I've just built a PC, and for some reason the motherboard won't POST and boot the OS. I can hear/see everything get power and but nothing happens. I have pulled the RAM to see if it's bad and it ...
Chris's user avatar
  • 239
0 votes
3 answers
151 views

Trying to install a new OS on an HP Pavilion a6400f using a Cruzer flash drive with a Windows 8.1 iso file on it

Every time I try to install it, I open up the boot menu and it tells me which to boot from. The USB Flash Drive appears in the list, but when I press enter, it just blinks a white underscore over a ...
gabe zombieskep's user avatar